Trailer lock



A ia-i124. 192s.v I Re. 16,942

. F. M. REID TRAILER LOCK Original Filed Feb.2l, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Inventor Th'wderzck Md 7002111 Jizez'd April 24. 1928.

F. M. REID TRAILER LOCK Original Filed Feb.2l. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Invenion I fr'edrick ,MaZcoZm Fez fliiorne g Reissued Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES 7 Re. 16,942 PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MALCOLM REID, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, 'ASSIGNOIB. TO FRUEHAUTTRAILER COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 01 MICHIGAN.

TRAILER. Locx.

Original No. 1,586,617, dated December 22, 1925, Serial No. 10,747,filed February 21 1925. Application for reissue filed January 29, 1827.Serial No. 164,593.

This invention relates to center locking devices for trailers. inventionto provide a simple, strong, sturdy lock of an automatic character, inwhich the automatic feature may be simply discontinued by throwing alever from one side to the other. This will be more fully explainedhereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a framentary side elevation of a trailer equipped with theimproved center lock.

Fi 2 is a fragmentary front elevation showing the look.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the table member in the gear frame.

. The trailer is provided with a drawhead a, which is provided with anintegral lock table I) and is provided at the center with a keepersocket c. A spring-pressed vertically guided bolt (1 is slidable in thebolt housing a, which is riveted to the chassis frame of the trailer.The keeper socket and the lock table, which are part of the drawhead,are riveted to the frame of the truck, or what we sometime call the gearframe.

The coil spring f engages against the shoulder on the bolt head andwithin the bolt socket and tends to project the bolt. On the top of thebolt housing is located a lever h which has an eccentric fulcrum 9 se-.cured to the upper end of the bolt by means of the pivot pin The pivotpin is eccentrically located on the circular fulcrum or roll of thelever at substantially a 90-degree point with respect to theattachmentof the lever to this roll or fulcrum. MW obvi. ously by simplythrowing the lever over from the position-shown in the full lines to theposition shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the lock is taken from theposition of action to the position of inaction. It will be seen that inthe position shown in thefull lines the lever, together with the rollfulcrum, can rise above the bolt bracket when the lower end of the boltslides along the table.

This action facilitates .the locking of the gear frame to the trailer,in that it is not necessary to align the bolt and the keeper socketbefore locking, which would be quite a diflicult task, especially with aheavy, or

loaded trailer. The gear frame is positioned 1t is the object of the sothat the bolt rests at any point on the table I), whereupon the gearframe is turned 011 its vertical pivot, andthis may be done by the useof a tractor attached to the drawbar where the trailer is particularlyheavy, or loaded, and when the keeper socket comes under the bolt, thesame will snap into place. When the gear frame reaches center positionwith respect to the chassis frame, the lock will automatically shootinto the keeper socket. This makes a very strong lock which can be easilmanufactured and applied to the chassis rame. The lock itself 15 aseparate unit which may be manufactured as a unit and riveted as a unitto the chassis frame. The keeper socket simply is an integral part ofthe drawhead as is also the table along which the lock slides.

' frame for the wheels, which has a fifth w eel While connection withthe main frame.

the member with the keeper socket is shown on the gear frame and themovable latch member on the main frame, it is within the invention toreverse the position of these parts so that the keeper socket member ison the main frame and the latch member on the gear frame.

What I claim is:

1. A center lock for vehicles, having in combination an upper member, alower member, with two members arranged to have relative movement withrespect to each other, a bolt guide housing on the one member, a tableprovided with a center keeper socket on the other member, a sliding boltguided in the bolt guide and tending to project into the keeper socketwhen lined up therewith, and means connected with the outer end of theslidin bolt and operating in direct connection with the bolt guidehousing to either release the bolt for automatic projection into thekeeper socket or else to set the bolt against projection into the keepersocket.

2. A center lock for vehicles, having in combination an upper member, alower member, the two members arranged to have relative movement withrespect to each other, a bolt guide housing on the one member, a tableprovided with a center keeper socket on the other member, a sliding boltguided in the bolt guide and tendingto project into the keeper socketwhen lined up therewith,

and a lever which can be thrown from one side to the other and which isconnected at the outer end of the bolt and operates in direct connectionwith the bolt guide housing for throwing the bolt out of operation orreleasing the bolt for automatic projection into the keeper socket.

3. A center lock for vehicles, having in combination an upper member, alower member, the two members arranged to have relative movement withrespect to each other, a bolt guide housing on the one member, a tableprovided with a center keeper socket on the other member, a sliding boltguided in the bolt guide housing and tending to project into the keepersocket when lined up therewith, and a lever havin a roll-like fulcrumeccentrically connected wtih the outer end of the bolt and bearingagainst the guide housing so that by throwing the lever to the one sideof center the bolt is held out of operation and turning it to the otherside of center the bolt is released for automatic projection into thekeeper socket.

4. A lock for trailers and gear frames, having in combination with atrailer and a gear frame, a lock guide bracket which can e secured tothe trailer frame, a bolt guided vertically in said bracket, a springfor projecting the bolt downwardly, a table provided with a centerkeeper socket secured to the gear frame, and a lever having a rolllikefulcrum bearing on the top of the bolt guide bracket and having aneccentric pivot connection with the upper end of the bolt.

5. In a trailer having a main frame and a gear frame mounted to turn ona vertical pivot, a lock for locking the two frames together againstrelative movement, comprising a table mounted on one of the framesextending substantially from one side of the frame to the other so as tobe at all times under the hereinafter mentioned latch, said table beingprovided with a keeper socket, a latch mounted on the other frame, saidlatch having a normal tendency to move toward the table and socket,whereby the two frames may be positioned relative to each other so thatthe latch rests upon the table and then the two frames moved relative toeach other until the latch moves into the keeper socket.

6. In a trailer having a main frame and a gear frame mounted to turn ona vertical pivot, a lock for locking the two frames together againstrelative movement, comprising a relatively long table mounted on onerelative to eachother so that the bolt rides along the table and movesinto the keeper socket when the same comes into alignment with the bolt.

7. Ina trailer having a main frame and a gear frame mounted to turn on avertical pivot, a lockfor locking the two frames together againstrelative movement, comprismg a table secured to the gear frame andprojecting forward over the front of the frame to which it is secured soas to be at all times under the hereinafter mentioned bolt in theswinging of the gear frame, said table having a keeper socket, and abolt mounted upon the main frame, said bolt having normal tendency tomove downwardly toward the gear frame, whereby the two frames may belocked together by turning the gear frame on its vertical pivot with thebolt sliding on the table until the keeper socket comes in alignmenttherewith and the bolt moves into the keeper socket, and means forholding the bolt in raised position to prevent locking of the frameswhen relative movement between the frames is desired.

8. In a trailer having a main frame and a gear frame mounted to turn ona vertical pivot, a lock for locking the two. frames together againstrelative movement, comprising a relatively long table mounted on thegear frame having a substantially centrally disposed keeper socket, abolt mounted on the main frame and arranged to ride over said tablewherever said bolt extends forward of the gear frame, spring means forurging said bolt toward the table, means for holding the bolt againstsuch movement caused by the spring, said holdin means being releasableto ermit the b0 t to move under the action 0 said spring, whereby thetwo frames maybe locked b turning the gear frame on its vertical pivotwith the bolt riding on the table until the keeper socket aligns withthe bolt and the bolt is spring-pressed into the keeper socket.

9. In a trailer having a main frame and a gear frame mounted to turn ona vertical pivot, a lock for locking the two frames together againstrelative movement, comprising a member which forms an essential partof'the gear frame, said member being in the form of a table, and 'a boltmounted upon the main frame, said bolt having a normal tendency to movedownwardly toward the table and arranged to ride over said tablewherever said bolt extends forward of the gear frame whereby the'twoframes may be locked together by turning the gear frame onits verticalivot with the bolt sliding on the table unti the keeper socket comes inalignment with the bolt and the bolt moves into the keeper socket.

10. In a trailer having a main frame and a gear frame mounted to turn ona vertical pivot, a lock for locking the two frames together againstrelative movement, comprising downwardly toward the table and arranged10 to ride on said table wherever said bolt extends forward of the gearframe whereby the two frames may be locked together by turning the gearframe on its vertical pivot with the bolt sliding on the table until thekeeper socket comes in alignment with the bolt and the bolt moves intothe keeper socket.

FREDERICK MALCOLM REID.

